1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air bag cover assemblies including an air bag deployment concentrator and at least one integrally hinged air bag door.
2. Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,738 discloses a painted plastic component which includes a painted film sheet and a one-piece thermoplastic elastomeric structural carrier. A bottom contact surface of the film sheet bonds with a front contact surface of the structural carrier by diffusion between the contact surfaces thereof within a mold cavity of an injection mold separate from the mold cavity of a vacuum mold which is utilized to vacuum-mold the film sheet to form the desired painted plastic component.
One limitation of such a component is that when such component takes the form of an air bag cover, it is difficult to tear through the film sheet.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,952,351 and 5,466,412, the Parker patents, teach a method of manufacturing an air bag cover for an inflatable air bag system including a bondable film carrier, which is painted after the film carrier is molded.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,188 discloses a molded instrument panel having a plastic front panel and incorporating an integral air bag door wherein the air bag door is hinged to the front panel by overlapping integral plastic members to ensure that the door does not separate from the instrument panel during air bag deployment. The instrument panel also includes a plastic frame integrally formed on an inner surface of the front panel which together with the door, encloses an uninflated air bag. Preferably, the hinge and portions of the frame are formed by a pressurized fluid so as to be hollow, thereby facilitating swinging movement of the door while preventing sink marks on an outer surface of the front panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,801 discloses an air bag deployment chute for deploying an air bag through a panel member having a groove. The deployment chute comprises a stationary portion and a door portion. The stationary portion includes a base and a peripheral wall integrally connected thereto. The base has a first surface attached to an inner surface of the panel member and an opening to define an inner periphery of the base. The inner periphery defines an open area which is circumscribed by the groove viewed in plan when the deployment chute is attached to the panel member. The inner periphery is positioned against the structurally weakened area of the panel member so that the groove is supported by the base to prevent inadvertent pivotal movement of the door portion toward the air bag when force is applied on the outer surface of the panel member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,672,611 discloses an air bag deployment chute and panel assembly for deploying an air bag through a panel member having a groove. The deployment chute comprises a stationary portion and one or more door portions depending on the shape of the prescribed tear pattern (i.e., “I”, “H” or “U”). The stationary portion includes a base and a peripheral wall integrally connected thereto. The base has a first surface attached to an inner surface of the panel member and an opening to define an inner periphery of the base. The inner periphery is positioned against a structurally weakened area of the panel member defined by the groove so that outer portions of the groove are supported by the base to prevent inadvertent pivotal movement of the one or more door portions toward the air bag when force is applied on the outer surface of the panel member.